WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — New Hanover graduate David Pellom will be playing close to home this week in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Pellom, a grad student playing for the Memphis Tigers, will face George Washington on Friday in Raleigh. Ironically Pellom graduated from George Washington prior to his transfer to Memphis.

Laney High grad Elijah Wilson is one of the best freshman basketball players in the Big South. Wilson and the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers will face Virginia in Raleigh on Friday. FYI, former UNCW head coach Benny Moss is an assistant coach at Coastal Carolina under head coach Cliff Ellis. (More info on Coastal Carolina is posted at the bottom of this page)

6 ACC teams made the field

NC State vs. Xavier 9:10pm Tuesday in Dayton, Ohio

Pitt vs. Colorado 1:40pm Thursday in Orlando

Syracuse vs. Western Michigan 2:45pm Thursday in Buffalo

Duke vs. Mercer 12:15 Friday in Raleigh

North Carolina vs. Providence 7:20pm Friday in San Antonio

Virginia vs. Coastal Carolina 9pm Friday in Raleigh

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Click the following link for information on all 68 teams in the field: http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/tournament/2014/story/_/id/10617020/a-first-look-every-team-ncaa-tournament-field

We’ve also provided an article below that features the 6 ACC teams in the field.

A day after the Duke coach lamented the ACC may receive fewer bids than the Atlantic 10 conference, the NCAA tournament selection committee granted the conference six bids, tying the Atlantic 10.

“I’ll get in trouble probably for saying it,” Krzyzewski said at the ACC tournament. “Like the Atlantic 10, they’re a really good conference. I hear people saying there are six teams in there. Come on. I mean, they’re good, but put them in our conference and go through the meat grinder that our conference has to go through.”

Krzyzewski added that he told North Carolina State coach Mark Gottfried, “I hope you get in.”

The Wolfpack did, defying the forecast of many pundits.

Even with three of the old Big East’s top teams joining the conference this season, the ACC slipped behind others, namely the Big 12 and Big Ten in the national conversation this season.

Two of the conference’s NCAA bids went to Syracuse and Pittsburgh, which meant the holdovers received four bids, equaling last year’s number.

Virginia: Earned the No. 1 seed in the East Region. Beating Duke to win the ACC tournament meant the Cavaliers won 16 of their last 17 to close the regular season, and they play defense as well as anybody in the country. But their grinding style helps keep points down, meaning they are prone to an early-round upset against a hot-shooting team.

Duke: Earned the No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region. The Blue Devils have struggled defensively, which has led to some of their slip-ups, but they enter the tournament with perhaps the most dangerous player in college basketball — Jabari Parker. That can be enough to win a title.

Syracuse: Earned the No. 3 seed in the South Region with a potential round-of-32 matchup against Ohio State. The Orange started 25-0 but are playing their worst basketball of the year, having lost five of their last seven. Syracuse’s fortunes may hinge on the health of forward Jerami Grant, who has dealt with a back injury in the last few weeks.

North Carolina: Earned the No. 6 seed in the East Region. Defense keyed a midseason turnaround for the Tar Heels, who seemed destined for the bubble before winning 12 straight. They have lost their last two games and struggled at home to defeat a subpar Notre Dame team.

Pittsburgh: Earned the No. 9 seed in the South Region. The Panthers’ conference tournament performance showed they can be both maddening and brilliant, sometimes within the same game. Coach Jamie Dixon hasn’t gotten the Panthers to the Sweet 16 since 2009.

North Carolina State: Will face Xavier in a play-in game for the No. 12 seed in the Midwest Region. The Wolfpack have ACC player of the year T.J. Warren but can seem pedestrian if Warren has a rough night. Granted, that rarely happens. Beating Syracuse in the ACC tournament likely got them into the dance.

chine@tribune.com

Twitter @ChristopherHine

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CONWAY, SC (COASTAL CAROLINA)– The Coastal Carolina University men’s basketball team is headed to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 21 years. The Chanticleers earned a 16 seed in the East Region and will face the No. 1 seed Virginia on Friday, March 21. The Chants and Cavaliers have met twice on the hardwood but not since Dec. 22, 2003 when Virginia won 89-74 in Charlottesville, Va.

The Chanticleers are making their third appearance in the NCAA Tournament and first since 1993. Coastal’s first trip to the tournament came in 1991. CCU defeated Augusta College 89-54 in the Big South Tournament Championship game and advanced to a play-in game against Jackson State. Coastal defeated the Tigers 78-59 to earn its first trip to the “Big Dance.” CCU drew the 15 seed in the Southeast Region and took on the second-seeded Indiana Hoosiers. The game took place in Freedom Hall in Louisville, Ky. Indiana led by 16 at halftime but senior Brian Penny scored 25 points for Chanticleers in the second half and cut the lead to just three with 2:55 left in the game. The Hoosiers answered with a three and then hit free throws down the stretch to win the game 79-69. Penny went on to be named the CBS/Chevrolet Player of the Game.

CCU’s second trip came in 1993. Coastal defeated Winthrop University in the Big South Tournament Championship 78-65 to earn a berth into the NCAA Tournament. Coastal earned a 16-seed in the West Region where it faced the number one seed Michigan. The “Fab Five” were sophomores in 1993 and defeated the Chanticleers 84-53 en route to a NCAA Championship game appearance. CCU’s Mohammed Acha was named the CBS/Chevrolet Player of the Game.

Head coach Cliff Ellis is just the 10th coach in NCAA Division I history to lead four different programs in the NCAA Tournament and holds a career 6-7 record in the NCAA Tournament. He has taken two teams to the “Sweet 16″ including his 1990 Clemson squad and his 1999 Auburn team.

Tickets for the NCAA Tournament games can be purchased through the Coastal Carolina University Athletics Ticket Office.

Placing an order does not guarantee you seats. The CCU Athletics Ticket Office will begin calling patrons Monday (March 17) morning at 8 am to confirm their ticket order has been processed. Tickets will be assigned with priority going to CAF members, men’s basketball season ticket holders, then general public. The maximum number of tickets one individual can purchase is four and the cost $86 per ticket.

Tickets can be picked up at the will call area at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. beginning one hour prior to the first game of the session. Tickets are only for the two designated games in the session. Transportation to and from the game is the ticket holder’s responsibility.

To place an order for tickets please call the CCU Athletics Ticket Office at 843-347-8499 or toll free at 877-424-2687.